Company type | Nonprofit |
---|---|
Industry | Technology |
Founder | Alexandra Grigore Toby Norman Daniel Storisteanu Tristram Norman |
Headquarters | University of Cambridge |
Products | Biometric fingerprint |
Website |
www |
Simprints is a nonprofit technology company originating at the University of Cambridge. [1] The company builds biometric fingerprint technology for use by governments, NGOs, and nonprofits for people in the developing world who lack proof of legal identity. [2] The company promotes a portable biometric system designed for front line workers. [3] The technology uses Bluetooth to connect to an Android mobile device that is interoperable with existing mHealth systems such as CommCare, ODK, or DHIS2. [4]
Simprints emerged in May 2012 out of a hackathon organised by the Centre for Global Equality and sponsored by technology company Arm. [5] [6] The founders of Simprints include Gates-Cambridge scholars Alexandra Grigore, [7] Toby Norman, and Daniel Storisteanu [8] as well as Royal Holloway-University of London student Tristram Norman. [9]
In 2014, the firm received a Round 4 Saving Lives at Birth Seed Grant, part of a Grand Challenges competition supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada), and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). [10] [11] [12] This funding was partially matched by Arm ltd, a Cambridge based semiconductor and software company. [13] This provided for a pilot study in partnership with BRAC and the Johns Hopkins Global mHealth Initiative to test the system with health workers in Gaibandha, Bangladesh. [4] [5] [12] [14] [15] [16] [17]
In 2015, Simprints received another grant from Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board) to move prototypes to the pre-production phase and develop and verify all software. This enabled the firm to launch a pilot project with BRAC which later manifested in a formal partnership. [18]
In 2016, Simprints developed their first production-ready biometric scanner known as Vero. It is IP65 rated and CE/FCC certified. [19] Simprints software architecture also conforms to EU Data regulation. [20]
In 2016, Simprints won a $200,000 grant from the Global Innovation Fund. [21]
In 2017, the firm won a Round 7 Saving Lives at Birth Transition to Scale grant for $2 million to scale up Simprints partnership with BRAC’s maternal health program to reach 2 million expectant mothers and children in Bangladesh. [22] [23] [3]
In 2019, Simprints announced that 3000 units of the Vero 2.0 would be shipped in early 2020 [9]
As of January 2023, Simprints' partners and financial supporters include: [24]
Non-current partners and supporters include the Electric Power Research Institute, [31] Grand Challenges Canada [22] and Impact Network. [32]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
Company type | Nonprofit |
---|---|
Industry | Technology |
Founder | Alexandra Grigore Toby Norman Daniel Storisteanu Tristram Norman |
Headquarters | University of Cambridge |
Products | Biometric fingerprint |
Website |
www |
Simprints is a nonprofit technology company originating at the University of Cambridge. [1] The company builds biometric fingerprint technology for use by governments, NGOs, and nonprofits for people in the developing world who lack proof of legal identity. [2] The company promotes a portable biometric system designed for front line workers. [3] The technology uses Bluetooth to connect to an Android mobile device that is interoperable with existing mHealth systems such as CommCare, ODK, or DHIS2. [4]
Simprints emerged in May 2012 out of a hackathon organised by the Centre for Global Equality and sponsored by technology company Arm. [5] [6] The founders of Simprints include Gates-Cambridge scholars Alexandra Grigore, [7] Toby Norman, and Daniel Storisteanu [8] as well as Royal Holloway-University of London student Tristram Norman. [9]
In 2014, the firm received a Round 4 Saving Lives at Birth Seed Grant, part of a Grand Challenges competition supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Norway, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada (funded by the Government of Canada), and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID). [10] [11] [12] This funding was partially matched by Arm ltd, a Cambridge based semiconductor and software company. [13] This provided for a pilot study in partnership with BRAC and the Johns Hopkins Global mHealth Initiative to test the system with health workers in Gaibandha, Bangladesh. [4] [5] [12] [14] [15] [16] [17]
In 2015, Simprints received another grant from Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board) to move prototypes to the pre-production phase and develop and verify all software. This enabled the firm to launch a pilot project with BRAC which later manifested in a formal partnership. [18]
In 2016, Simprints developed their first production-ready biometric scanner known as Vero. It is IP65 rated and CE/FCC certified. [19] Simprints software architecture also conforms to EU Data regulation. [20]
In 2016, Simprints won a $200,000 grant from the Global Innovation Fund. [21]
In 2017, the firm won a Round 7 Saving Lives at Birth Transition to Scale grant for $2 million to scale up Simprints partnership with BRAC’s maternal health program to reach 2 million expectant mothers and children in Bangladesh. [22] [23] [3]
In 2019, Simprints announced that 3000 units of the Vero 2.0 would be shipped in early 2020 [9]
As of January 2023, Simprints' partners and financial supporters include: [24]
Non-current partners and supporters include the Electric Power Research Institute, [31] Grand Challenges Canada [22] and Impact Network. [32]
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)